366 research outputs found
Spatio-temporal patterns generated by Salmonella typhimurium
We present experimental results on the bacterium Salmonella typhimurium which show that cells of chemotactic strains aggregate in response to gradients of amino acids, attractants that they themselves excrete. Depending on the conditions under which cells are cultured, they form periodic arrays of continuous or perforated rings, which arise sequentially within a spreading bacterial lawn. Based on these experiments, we develop a biologically realistic cell-chemotaxis model to describe the self-organization of bacteria. Numerical and analytical investigations of the model mechanism show how the two types of observed geometric patterns can be generated by the interaction of the cells with chemoattractant they produce
Influences of the bark economics spectrum and positive termite feedback on bark and xylem decomposition
The plant economics spectrum integrates trade-offs and covariation in resource economic traits of different plant organs and their consequences for pivotal ecosystem processes, such as decomposition. However, in this concept stems are often considered as one unit ignoring the important functional differences between wood (xylem) and bark. These differences may not only affect the performance of woody plants during their lifetime, but may also have important “afterlife effects.” Specifically, bark quality may strongly affect deadwood decomposition of different woody species. We hypothesized that (1) bark quality strongly influences bark decomposability to microbial decomposers, and possibly amplifies the interspecific variation in decomposition by invertebrate consumption, especially termites; and (2) bark decomposition has secondary effects on xylem mass loss by providing access to decomposers including invertebrates such as termites. We tested these hypotheses across 34 subtropical woody species representing five common plant functional types, by conducting an in situ deadwood decomposition experiment over 12-month in two sites in subtropical evergreen broad-leaved forest in China. We employed visual examination and surface density measurement to quantify termite consumption to both bark and the underlying xylem, respectively. Using principal component analysis, we synthesized seven bark traits to provide the first empirical evidence for a bark economics spectrum (BES), with high BES values (i.e., bark thickness, nitrogen, phosphorus, and cellulose contents) indicating a resource acquisitive strategy and low BES values (i.e., carbon, lignin, and dry matter contents) indicating a resource conservative strategy. The BES affected interspecific variation in bark mass loss and this relationship was strongly amplified by termites. The BES also explained nearly half of the interspecific variation in termite consumption to xylem, making it an important contributor to deadwood decomposition overall. Moreover, the above across-species relationships manifested also within plant functional types, highlighting the value of using continuous variation in bark traits rather than categorical plant functional types in carbon cycle modeling. Our findings demonstrate the potent role of the BES in influencing deadwood decomposition including positive invertebrate feedback thereon in warm-climate forests, with implications for the role of bark quality in carbon cycling in other woody biomes
Critical light scattering in liquids
We compare theoretical results for the characteristic frequency of the
Rayleigh peak calculated in one-loop order within the field theoretical method
of the renormalization group theory with experiments and other theoretical
results. Our expressions describe the non-asymptotic crossover in temperature,
density and wave vector. In addition we discuss the frequency dependent shear
viscosity evaluated within the same model and compare our theoretical results
with recent experiments in microgravity.Comment: 17 pages, 12 figure
Fine-scale time-lapse analysis of the biphasic, dynamic behaviour of the two Vibrio cholerae chromosomes
Using fluorescent repressor-operator systems in live cells, we investigated the dynamic behaviour of chromosomal origins in Vibrio cholerae, whose genome is divided between two chromosomes. We have developed a method of analysing fine-scale motion in the curved co-ordinate system of vibrioid bacteria. Using this method, we characterized two different modes of chromosome behaviour corresponding to periods between segregation events and periods of segregation. Between segregation events, the origin positions are not fixed but rather maintained within ellipsoidal caged domains, similar to eukaryotic interphase chromosome territories. These domains are approximately 0.4 µm wide and 0.6 µm long, reflecting greater restriction in the short axis of the cell. During segregation, movement is directionally biased, speed is comparable between origins, and cell growth can account for nearly 20% of the motion observed. Furthermore, the home domain of each origin is positioned by a different mechanism. Specifically, the oriCI domain is maintained at a constant actual distance from the pole regardless of cell length, while the oriCII domain is maintained at a constant relative position. Thus the actual position of oriCII varies with cell length. While the gross behaviours of the two origins are distinct, their fine-scale dynamics are remarkably similar, indicating that both experience similar microenvironments
Hexagonal dielectric resonators and microcrystal lasers
We study long-lived resonances (lowest-loss modes) in hexagonally shaped
dielectric resonators in order to gain insight into the physics of a class of
microcrystal lasers. Numerical results on resonance positions and lifetimes,
near-field intensity patterns, far-field emission patterns, and effects of
rounding of corners are presented. Most features are explained by a
semiclassical approximation based on pseudointegrable ray dynamics and boundary
waves. The semiclassical model is also relevant for other microlasers of
polygonal geometry.Comment: 12 pages, 17 figures (3 with reduced quality
Superconductivity and single crystal growth of Ni0:05TaS2
Superconductivity was discovered in a Ni0:05TaS2 single crystal. A Ni0:05TaS2
single crystal was successfully grown via the NaCl/KCl flux method. The
obtained lattice constant c of Ni0:05TaS2 is 1.1999 nm, which is significantly
smaller than that of 2H-TaS2 (1.208 nm). Electrical resistivity and
magnetization measurements reveal that the superconductivity transition
temperature of Ni0:05TaS2 is enhanced from 0.8 K (2H-TaS2) to 3.9 K. The
charge-density-wave transition of the matrix compound 2H-TaS2 is suppressed in
Ni0:05TaS2. The success of Ni0:05TaS2 single crystal growth via a NaCl/KCl flux
demonstrates that NaCl/KCl flux method will be a feasible method for single
crystal growth of the layered transition metal dichalcogenides.Comment: 13pages, 6 figures, Published in SS
Estimation of expiratory time constants via fuzzy clustering
Objective. In mechanically ventilated patients the expiratorytime constant provides information about respiratory mechanics. In thepresent study a new method, fuzzy clustering, is proposed to determine expiratory time constants. Fuzzy clustering differs from other methods since it neither interferes with expiration nor presumes any functional relationship between the variables analysed. Furthermore, time constantbehaviour during expiration can be assessed, instead of an average timeconstant. The time constants obtained with fuzzy clustering are comparedto time constants conventionally calculated from the same expirations.
Methods. 20 mechanically ventilated patients, including 10 patients with COPD, were studied. The data of flow, volume and pressure were sampled. From these data, four local linear models were detected by fuzzy clustering. The
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